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Not directly Muay Thai related, but I went to see the Suffragette movie and I was moved!

I went to see the movie “Suffragette” today and I’m really moved!
The movie has made me really grateful to these women who had so much courage to stand up for their (and our) rights!
I was asking myself – would I be able to do the same? If I had the same mindset as I have today, would I have the courage to break the law and fight against something that seems so much bigger than myself? Or would I just turn my tail and run?

The story was really shocking to me, as I only heard about the Suffragette movement on a lesson during history class, but it was probably a one-line sentence in the book. I don’t think of myself as a feminist, so I have never looked into the history of the female revolution. Now I’m a lot more motivated to do it.

As the name of the blog says, I am a rebel at heart. I like to think about myself as going against some cliches, taking a maybe harder, but much more rewarding way than the majority of the society. I don’t want to confirm to social rights that are put on me based on my looks, my age, my social status, my marital status, my heritage. The list can go on.

This past week – unrelated to the movie, but really coming together now after watching it – I was observing my environment and noticed that I’m exposed to sexist comments on an everyday basis. And I tell you, I don’t come in contact with a lot of people, so how much more have women living and working in a much busier town have to deal with?

This self-proclaimed superiority of men above women is irrational and unjust! I usually stand up for myself, but while I was doing this observation I was really caught off guard and just stood there with my mouth hanging open wide thinking “Is he really saying that?”.

I’m aware of the fact that many people can say “oh, you’re overreacting”, when in fact, if I FEEL something is off, IT IS.

I really hope many people will watch this move and don’t dismiss it as some “feminist” movie. It’s not feminist, it’s a heartbreaking story about warriors who wanted to change something for the next generations and they did.
The beautiful thing is, this wasn’t a fight for borders or land, it was – and still is – a fight for respecting a whole genders’ rights. They were phrasing it as a right to vote, but there was so much more in it.

I think it’s such a tough fight, because only those who suffered from disrespectful and unjust treatment can understand the burning helplessness that nags at you. It wasn’t until Maud – the protagonist – met the suffragette women that she were able to voice her suffering and take actions.

The moment that stuck with me the most from the movie was the scene when Maud lies in bed with her husband, asking what would they have named a daughter if they had one. And what would her life be. The husband answers her, that it would be just like hers. Knowing that Maud has had second thoughts on the treatment of women it was such a cruel sentence that made me despise all male who could possibly think that this was a good life to live!

Sadly enough, we still have to deal with such narrow-minded men in our society. I really hope that people will get their eyes and minds opened by this move and that the future will change for the better.